By Nii B. Andrews.
Bonhams kicks off its Fall auctions with Modern & Contemporary African Art on Sept 2 2020 in New York; over 40 lots will go under the hammer.
The work of established artists such as Irma Stern, El Anatsui and Ben Enwonwu will be featured.
There will also be work by younger and emerging names including Ibrahim Mahama, Zanele Muholi, Wangechi Mutu and Athi-Patra Ruga.
New York still lags somewhat behind London and Paris for CAA sales but the gap has been closing steadily over the last several years.
Many of Africa’s younger artists have produced work that resonates with the ethos of New York.
These works have explored and commented on the hot button themes of identity, race, gender and self-expression.
The current Bonhams specialist in Modern and Contemporary African Art, Helene Love-Allotey was emphatic when she stated: “This auction has a really strong selection of contemporary art from some of the most exciting names in the industry.
Many of these artists have practised, performed and exhibited in New York and it feels particularly poignant to be able to offer these works in our New York saleroom.
Including more women and non-binary artists than ever, it’s wonderful to be able to explore themes of race, gender and sexuality in this auction.”
The leading lot for the sale, according to the auction catalog, will be Irma Stern’s SWAHILI WOMAN.
It is a rare, mesmerizing portrait painted within the artist’s original hand-made Zanzibar frame, and it is estimated at USD 950,000 -1.2M.
In early October, Bonhams has scheduled another CAA auction in London.
Happy bidding, folks.